17.09.2015

A few weeks ago, Thorsten Husmann told me about his new project he is now working for. RUTTE Distillateurs in Dordrecht, Netherlands. Rutte & ZN was bought three years ago by DE KUYPER Company and they have now set up some of their products to distribute also outside Netherlands.

The story on how small these company is (small shop, with a attached small distillery, warehouse, mini bottling and aroma laboratory (finally a bigger "Kitchen")) sounded like a fairytale - and I could not believe.

So Thorsten invited me to visit them. And what I saw and who I meet, I felt in love with. Also, what I drunk.

I will come up with more about RUTTE here sone. First I did an Interview with the Masterdistiller Myriam Hendrickx. A very passioned woman, sympathetic and a real master of catching natural flavours in a liquid. I felt in love with her CUBAN COFFE, the Genever with fresh roasted Hazelnuts and also the new CELERY GIN.

I brought a bottle of Rutte Celery Gin to germany and I tried it in our Basil Smash. - Wow !

This Gin brings our GIN BASIL SMASH on the second level. Super interesting after taste. Complex - killed me. So I am negotiating with them now- how we bring a few boxes over to Le Lion - because I cannot wait to serve you a Celery Gin Basil Smash ( and sorry Mario - I know you will hate me for that)

Im going to do a talk with Myriam and Simon Difford on how Rutte is catching in all natural flavors in liquids and how they do these special Genever and the Gins. I guess Myriam will come up with some valuable story on how to catch flavors for all your home flavour producers ... so please feel free to join. At least I can serve you a Celery Gin Basil Smash! Enjoy the Interview.

" If you think you have TALENTO,want to become WORLD CLASS or create your LEGACY, proof it in your bar every night & stop doing competitions"

Jacob Briars, Global Trade Advocacy Director of Bacardi, a person I highly respect in our Industry, responded to me on twitter and it become quite a discussion.

But I like to roll out my thoughts behind this tweet also here on my blog, cause I felt uncomfortable with a 140 character discussion on twitter. Because, first of all, I don't want to be unfair. To Bacardi (LEGACY), Diageo (WORLD CLASS) or Pernod Ricard ( Havana Club) with (TALENTO and their Global Cocktail Competition).

First of all, this is not a critic on this three competitions. There are many in our Industry. These are the most famous ones. We have so many. International and Global ones. But also National ones like the German GSA Competition from MIXOLOGY Magazin. etc. Dozens. Hundreds?

Second of all, my tweet is not "a critic" the people they set up these competitions. If you ever have been part of one, especially a big international one, it will be the experience of your life. These companies are very generous in setting this up, and we will find many positive aspects of these competitions. For sure - I do not like some developments of most of them. But in general: Thank you to the Sponsor.

Me tweet is finally a critic on us - the bartenders. Something has changed. I don't like it. What I have spotted over years is: We Bartenders started to take this cocktail competitions serious. That is a mistake.

Competitions - mostly developed from people who are bartenders or are very much connected to them - used to be a big fun. A generous party, a great come together, added more and more with also some inspiring training aspects, a superlative network event, generously paid - merci !

For sure, over the years, marketing toke over. Marketing is fucking up everything. Always. Competing bartenders had to spam their social networks with marketing activities and other stupid marketing stuff. But hey - finally also ok. Our "friends in the brands" had to prove the bosses why they every year needed more money for a bartender event. Finally, if you commit to be part of it, you should go all in. Nothing to complain. Thats the deal Mr. Bartender.

So, do not get me wrong: It is nothing wrong with the brands and the people who set up these competitions. They put a lot of money, work and love into it. Thanks again.

My critics in my tweet is not against the brands. Its about the competing bartenders. Not all of them. Some. And on other bartenders. Finally on all bartender who really think these competitions make you a better bartender. I disagree. They do not! And in the moment I have the feeling that they make some bartender even more poorly bartenders.

Because they start to think that it really means something to win these competitions. If you expect to become a great bartender with winning a competition - I think you are wrong.

Winning a competition does not make you a good bartender and does not proof that you are one. For sure, some people who won competitions ARE great and good bartenders. But they became it before they won these nice entertainment events.

Getting a great bartenders will take you several years behind bars, working all positions, working 4,5 sometimes 6 nights a week, 8-14 hours a shift. Dealing with thousands of guests and dozen's of colleagues, building a real team - That makes you a great bartender.

For sure, there are bartenders, who did also all these and are not so great bartenders at all. Some are more talented than others. Finally hours is just numbers. But I think you cannot become a good bartender without hours. Today I spotted that more and more bartenders think that competitions are the shortcut to become a great bartender. They are not. They are a big party, nice to be part of it, which have not much to do with the daily routine in our profession. Competions can make you kind of famous. In a very small world. But they never make you experienced. Hours and sweat do. To not mix short "fame" with "experience".

If you want to become real WORLD CLASS - start working your asses of, be a great host, give all your passion to your bar and your team. And you will grow. Be clever, travel, network, give seminars, take effort and hours, you do not need a brand for this.

And if you want to create your LEGACY - you have to build it step by step, every night. Share you passions, write about it, communicate. Build relations ships to press and media, have real content and again: work your asses of.

There are no short cuts to become WORLD CLASS and create your own LEGACY !

You don't need competitions for it. Competitions are great fun - but please, don't take them serious.

***

P.S. If you like the idea of working 50 hours a week, long nights, all positions, dirty hands, no competitions, no extra jobs by side for the industry, - just 100% bartending ( and +100 Basil Smashes per night...) I have 2 positions I hire for for our new upcoming second floor at LE LION • BAR DE PARIS . And also 1 position we hire for at our second bar THE BOILERMAN BAR.Send your CV to joerg @ lelion.net

1,5 Gin Basil Smash ( we tried 3 different Versions. A „regular“ one with Beefeater 47, one with RUTTE DRY GIN and one with RUTTE CELERY GIn. Rutte works very well but the Celery Version is killing it - I fell in love with ! )

2 Shots of Tequila. No Brand. Was a present from Raoul and his friends from Mexico. They used to run LE LEON Tequila and just sold the brand. They are now doing a new, unreleased brand, not published yet. It was a Reposado Tequila. Very interesting Agave fruit. The fresh oak barrel was not elegant. A hint to much vanilla, little to sweet.

Translate

Dieses Blog durchsuchen

I cannot comment?

Sorry, I turned the comment function in 2016 off for several reasons. First off all, its lot of spam, second off all in germany are some legal reasons and most off all, the discussion is these days on social networks. I you would love to give me feedback (and I love to read it) contact me here.